


The Fountain of Youth

by thekurz



Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms, Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux, Phantom - Susan Kay
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:01:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25048075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekurz/pseuds/thekurz
Summary: Erik's search for youth ends up having some unforeseen and unfortunate consequences.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	The Fountain of Youth

**Author's Note:**

> So a friend of mine was helping me come up with ideas for ridiculous phic ideas. This was one of them. Enjoy!

Erik and Nadir traversed through a dark, dank cave. the only light they had emanating from a small lantern which Erik held. Nadir wondered why he had tagged along with the masked man for this unusual journey. Erik had said he had found the location of some great, lost treasure. That he wanted to search for it himself. Nadir could have contented himself with staying behind, but he feared that Erik would get himself into trouble, as he often did.

"Erik, this is foolish!" Nadir said as they navigated the uneven terrain in near darkness. "One of us is going to fall and break our necks!"

"Quiet!" Erik replied, his voice some ways ahead of the other man. "We're nearly there."

"You said that at least an hour ago," Nadir pointed out. "I'm starting to think you're lost."

"I said  _ quiet _ ! Or would you rather I leave you here on your own?"

"You wouldn't dare," Nadir insisted, but silenced himself all the same. He did not relish the thought of being left to fend for himself in this dark cave.

After many more minutes of walking, Nadir began to hear a noise from somewhere ahead of him. a shimmering sound of sorts, almost like wind chimes.

"Erik, is that you making that noise?" He asked, knowing full well that Erik was capable of manipulating his voice in such a way.

"It's not me," Erik replied. "I told you we were nearly there."

True to his word, the pair began to see a soft purplish glow off in the distance of the cave. As they neared it, the shimmering sound intensified, and a small fountain made of rock came into view.

Erik, upon seeing this, abandoned the lantern, and rushed to the fountain. Nadir collected the dropped lantern -- thankful it had not broken -- and followed behind Erik, who was gripping the sides of the fountain and peering into it with wide eyes.

" _ This is it _ ," Erik hissed, his voice strained with a barely contained excitement.

Nadir furrowed his brow as he also peered into the well. The liquid inside shimmered purple, and roiled around as though disturbed by something unseen underneath.

"This is the so-called  _ Fountain of Youth _ ?" Nadir asked.

Erik turned away from the coveted prize with a frown on his lips. "You sound unimpressed."

Nadir shrugged. "I was expecting it to be… Well… not this."

Erik turned back to the fountain, and dipped one of his hands into the strange, purple liquid. "Just think, Nadir… All the time this will give me… More time for my music… for  _ Christine _ …"

"I still think this is foolish," Nadir said, but Erik paid no heed.

Erik cupped his hands, dipping them once again into the fountain. He pulled back, drinking deeply from the liquid he had collected in his hands. After a moment, he stopped, his brow furrowed.

"Well?" Nadir asked.

Erik studied his arms and hands intently, and noticed no outward change. "I don't feel any different. Perhaps that wasn't enough."

He went back for more.

"Maybe you should stop," Nadir said uneasily as he watched Erik drink greedily from the fountain. "The effects of this spell, if there even is a spell, might not be instantaneous."

"Maybe  _ you _ should mind your own business," Erik shot back, continuing to drink.

Nadir rolled his eyes and sighed. Nothing good could come of this. And sure enough, he couldn't help but notice that, in the dim light, his companion seemed to have become several inches  _ shorter _ .

* * *

Christine was perplexed.

About a month-and-a-half ago, Erik had sent her a note saying he would be gone for an unknown amount of time, as he and M. Khan were traveling somewhere.

But now, he was back in Paris and in his little home by the lake. The only problem was, he hadn't resumed their lessons, or tormented the ballet corps, or made Carlotta's life a living nightmare, or… well… he hadn't done any of the things he normally did.

Something was afoot, and Christine couldn't help but wonder if he had been hurt in some way. He had given no indication that he had been injured in the note he had sent her upon his return (Although Christine couldn't help but notice that his handwriting was sloppier than usual). But that note had been sent two weeks ago, and she hadn't heard anything since.

She was determined to find out what had happened to him, even if she had to take matters into her own hands.

She made her way through the underground passageway that led to his home, and before long, found herself at the front door to his underground home.

Upon reaching his front door, she knocked once, then twice. From within the house, she could hear raised voices, the sounds of scrambling, and then the sound of feet rushing to the door.

The door opened, and Nadir Khan stood on the other side, looking very stressed as he tried to plaster a friendly smile on his face.

"Ah, Miss Daae!" He announced. "It's so good to see you!"

His smile was still too tight, his eyes still too wild. Christine furrowed her brow.

"Good evening, Monsieur Khan," she began. "I was wondering if Erik was in? I haven't heard from him in a long time, and I was starting to grow concerned."

"Ah… yes… Erik… you see, about that…" Nadir replied, shifting from foot to foot.

"Is everything all right? Has he been injured?"

"Injured? No. But… well… I don't quite… You know, maybe you should go!" Nadir said, his voice growing frantic.

Christine raised an eyebrow at his curious behavior. "I don't think I will go, no. If something is wrong I would like to know."

Nadir sighed and furiously rubbed at his brow, stepping aside to allow her entry into the home. Christine walked through the front door, finding that Erik was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is he?" She asked.

"Resting?" Nadir tried, but Christine saw through the lie.

"Why does it seem as though you are hiding some great secret from me?" She asked.

"Nadir, for God's sake, I told you to  _ send her away _ !" Came a voice from the adjoining room.

"Oh dear…" Nadir said, putting his face in his hand.

Christine turned to the man, confused as she did not recognize the voice. It sounded like the voice of a young child 

"Who is that?" She asked, but Nadir didn't respond.

"Nadir, she can't be here! She can't see me like this!" The voice shouted.

Christine grew more confused. Then, her face widened as she had a revelation.

That couldn't be… It wasn't…

"Erik?" She called. "Erik, is that you?" Silence. "Erik, please come out."

There was a heavy pause. Nadir was now furiously dabbing at his temples with a handkerchief.

The door to Erik's music room opened slowly. She expected to see him towering in the doorway as he normally did, but instead, a young boy no older than six or seven came shuffling out.

The boy was dressed in Erik's clothes, but they were extremely ill-fitting. The pant legs trailed long behind the boy, and he was careful not to trip while he shuffled towards her. The button-down shirt he wore hung very loosely on his frame, with the boy's arms enveloped in the much-too-large sleeves. The boy's hideous, skeletal face was bared for the world to see, but Christine realized that was because he didn't have a mask that would properly fit.

"Sweet heavens!" Christine breathed as she looked down at the young boy. " _ Erik _ ?"

He stopped just short of her, looking up at her with a frown.

"What on earth happened to you?" Christine exclaimed.

"I went looking for the Fountain of Youth…" Erik began, looking down at the floor, unable to meet her eyes.

Christine gaped at him. The  _ Fountain of Youth _ ? She, like everyone else, had always assumed that to be just a myth. But, looking at her maestro now, she realized it was  _ very real _ .

"And we found it." Erik continued.

"He was a baby last month," Nadir piped up from behind Erik and Christine, but the pair paid him no heed.

Christine knelt to be level with Erik, feeling quite odd to now be so much taller than him. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"I wanted to be young again." Erik replied.

"He was not a very well-behaved baby…" Nadir continued behind them, seeming on the verge of a breakdown of his own.

Christine furrowed her brow, noticeably perplexed. "Why would you want to be young again?"

"Because I thought that if I was a young man again, then maybe you'd finally love me." Erik explained.

Christine raised an eyebrow. "Really? You think  _ your age _ is the problem with our situation?"

Erik ignored that comment. "But now I'm too young! And I can't reach anything, and nothing fits!" He continued petulantly.

Christine turned to Nadir. "I take it he drank too much."

"He really went for it," Nadir replied with a nod. "I told him to stop, but by the time he did, it was too late."

"Yes, I can see that," Christine said. Then paused for a moment as she processed Nadir's earlier words. 

"I'm sorry, did you say that he was a  _ baby _ ?"

Nadir nodded again. "It was the most unsettling thing I have ever witnessed. Have you ever heard a baby speak, Miss Daae? Full sentences with complete, coherent words?"

Christine shuddered at the thought, then turned back to Erik. "At least the spell, or whatever it is, seems to be wearing off." She offered.

"Which means that this was all a waste of time!" Erik shouted, throwing his arms out and stomping his foot on the ground.

"Better that then have you stay like this forever!" Christine countered. "Erik, what you've done here is very wrong. Do you understand that?"

"No," he said with a pout, folding his arms across his chest.

"Erik, you can't… you can't  _ do _ things like this! It's not right!" Christine said.

"But why not?" Erik asked, his voice growing more petulant.

"Because we don't get to decide things like… how old we are, or… when we die… or… or things like that!"

"Why?!"

" _ Because, Erik! _ " Christine shouted, growing increasingly frustrated at having to explain things to, well, a child.

"Well, I think time is stupid!" Erik shouted back. "I think it's stupid, and I don't like time!"

Christine took a deep breath. "Erik… please go to your room."

"No!"

Christine closed her eyes and took an even deeper breath. "Erik. I need you to go to your room. Me and Mr. Khan need to have some words  _ alone _ ."

"I don't want to! I want to stay here and talk with you!"

"Erik! If you do not go to your room this instant, then I will never come here again!" Christine shouted. 

"Do you understand me? I will leave and never come back!"

"NO! No you  _ wouldn't _ !" Erik screamed.

"Now, young man!"

With a cry, Erik spun on his heel and made his way to his room, making a great show of slamming the door as hard as he could. Loud crying could be heard from behind the door.

Christine slumped down on the couch in the drawing room. Nadir handed her a glass of brandy, with she gladly accepted, drinking deeply. Christine handed the glass back to Nadir, then placed her head in her hands.

"Please don't leave, Miss Daae," Nadir said. "Please. I cannot do this alone. It's so hard. He's so  _ bad _ ."

Christine nodded. No, she couldn't leave. Not until everything went back to normal.

But even if Erik ended up fully grown again, Christine was sure that after this, nothing would ever seem  _ normal _ again.


End file.
